Present Adjectival Participle (-tunna)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the -tunna suffix to turn a verb into an adjective describing an ongoing action.
- Add -tunna to the verb root to describe a noun: 'Chaduvutunna abbayi' (The reading boy).
- It functions exactly like an adjective; it must precede the noun it describes.
- For negative, use -lenni or -ni instead of -tunna.
Present Adjectival Participle Formation
| Verb Root | Suffix | Participle | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
|
chadu
|
tunna
|
chaduvutunna
|
reading
|
|
tinu
|
tunna
|
tinutunna
|
eating
|
|
velu
|
tunna
|
velutunna
|
going
|
|
vasu
|
tunna
|
vastunna
|
coming
|
|
aadu
|
tunna
|
aadutunna
|
playing
|
|
nilaba
|
tunna
|
nilabadutunna
|
standing
|
|
kurchu
|
tunna
|
kurchuntunna
|
sitting
|
|
pani chey
|
tunna
|
pani chestunna
|
working
|
Meanings
The -tunna participle turns a verb into an adjective that describes a noun currently performing an action.
Ongoing Action
Describes a noun currently in the middle of an action.
“Pani chestunna manishi”
“Aadutunna pillalu”
Habitual/State
Describes a noun in a state of being.
“Kurchuntunna athanu”
“Nilabadutunna ammayi”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Root + tunna + Noun
|
Chaduvutunna abbayi
|
|
Negative
|
Root + leni + Noun
|
Chaduvuleni abbayi
|
|
Question
|
Root + tunna + Noun + aa?
|
Chaduvutunna abbayi aa?
|
|
Continuous
|
Root + tunna + Noun
|
Vastunna bus
|
|
Plural
|
Root + tunna + Noun(pl)
|
Aadutunna pillalu
|
|
Formal
|
Root + tunna + Noun
|
Matladutunna mahila
|
औपचारिकता का स्तर
Vastunna vyakti. (Describing someone arriving.)
Vastunna manishi. (Describing someone arriving.)
Vastunna athanu. (Describing someone arriving.)
Vastunna vaadu. (Describing someone arriving.)
The -tunna Bridge
Add Suffix
- tunna Present Participle
Add Noun
- Abbayi Boy
स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण
Aadutunna pillalu
The playing children
Vastunna bus
The coming bus
Tinutunna ammayi
The eating girl
Velutunna nanna
The going father
Chaduvutunna abbayi na thammudu.
The reading boy is my brother.
Akada nilabadutunna vyakti evaru?
Who is the person standing there?
Pani chestunna manishi chala manchivadu.
The man working is a very good person.
Matladutunna mahila ma teacher.
The woman speaking is my teacher.
Nenu chustunna cinema chala bagundi.
The movie I am watching is very good.
Akkada kurchuni unna pilladu chaduvutunna pustakam naadi.
The book the boy sitting there is reading is mine.
Vastunna varthalu nijamena?
Are the coming news reports true?
Nidrapotunna pillalani lepakandi.
Don't wake the sleeping children.
Prastutam pani chestunna vidhanam marali.
The method currently being worked on must change.
Aayana cheptunna vishayam lo nijam undi.
There is truth in what he is saying.
Nenu prayanistunna train late ayindi.
The train I am traveling on is late.
Samskaristunna samajam lo manam unnam.
We are in a reforming society.
Vikasistunna arthika vyavastha manaki avasaram.
We need a developing economy.
Aalochanalu panchukuntunna mitrulu.
Friends sharing thoughts.
Pratidwanistunna swaram ekkadidi?
Where is the echoing voice from?
Nirminchutunna bhavanam chala peddadi.
The building being constructed is very big.
Parivartana chendutunna manishi swabhavam.
The nature of a changing human.
Anveshistunna vaigyanikulu.
The scientists who are exploring.
Prabhavitam avtunna vyavasthalu.
The systems being influenced.
Srustistunna kalakhandam.
The masterpiece being created.
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Learners use the participle as a sentence.
सामान्य गलतियाँ
Abbayi tunna chaduvu
Chaduvutunna abbayi
Chaduvutunnadu abbayi
Chaduvutunna abbayi
Chadivina abbayi (for current)
Chaduvutunna abbayi
Pani cheyutunna
Pani chestunna
वाक्य संरचनाएँ
___ tunna ___ naaku telusu.
Real World Usage
Nenu chustunna cinema!
Vastunna bus ekkada?
Pani chestunna vidhanam.
Velutunna!
Vastunna order.
Nenu nerchukuntunna vishayalu.
Root First
Don't add -du
Context is Key
Natural Flow
Smart Tips
Use -tunna to identify them by action.
Use -tunna for moving objects.
Use it to shorten sentences.
Keep the participle before the noun.
उच्चारण
Stress
The stress usually falls on the root, but -tunna is pronounced clearly.
Rising
Chaduvutunna abbayi aa? ↑
Questioning the identity of the person.
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Think of 'tunna' as 'TUNING' into the present moment.
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine a radio tuner (TUNNA) that only picks up live, happening broadcasts.
Rhyme
When the action is happening now, add -tunna to show us how.
Story
I saw a boy. He was reading. I saw a reading boy. I saw a girl. She was eating. I saw an eating girl. It's that simple!
Word Web
चैलेंज
Look around your room and describe 3 things using the -tunna pattern in 5 minutes.
सांस्कृतिक नोट्स
This form is used across all regions of Andhra and Telangana.
Derived from the present progressive tense marker -tunna.
बातचीत की शुरुआत
Akkada matladutunna vyakti evaru?
डायरी विषय
सामान्य गलतियाँ
Test Yourself
___ (chadu) abbayi na thammudu.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Abbayi vastunna.
Abbayi chaduvutunnadu -> ___ abbayi.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Tinu + tunna = ?
Vastunna + bus + ekkada?
Can -tunna be used for past?
Score: /8
अभ्यास प्रश्न
8 exercises___ (chadu) abbayi na thammudu.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Abbayi vastunna.
Abbayi chaduvutunnadu -> ___ abbayi.
Match: Aadu -> ?
Tinu + tunna = ?
Vastunna + bus + ekkada?
Can -tunna be used for past?
Score: /8
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (8)
No, use -ina for past.
No, it is gender-neutral.
It is neutral and used everywhere.
Check if you put the verb after the noun.
English uses relative clauses; Telugu uses adjectives.
Yes, it is standard in all writing.
Some roots change slightly, like 'chey' to 'chestunna'.
Practice with common verbs daily.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Participio presente
Telugu places the participle before the noun.
Te-form + noun
Suffix placement is similar.
Partizip I
German is inflectional; Telugu is agglutinative.
Participe présent
Syntax structure.
Ism al-fa'il
Morphological structure.
De-construction
Particle usage.
